Vlad Gliga, Rubik Hub: „When we are young, we dream to become superheroes and to help other people”

The documentary "Romanian Startups: Roaring Tigers of Europe", made by the start-up.ro team, spans across 33 years of history, from the first entrepreneurs in the transitional years to the initial technology company transactions that brought Romania into the international spotlight.

Romanian Startups: Roaring Tigers of Europe - The Extended Series will present the people who built the Romanian ecosystem and who discussed with the VideoCorp and start-up.ro team for this documentary. In this series you will find the extensive interviews and find out the stories of those who built entrepreneurship in Romania.

After accumulating relevant professional and personal experience working and studying in Denmark at an MBA focused on impact, Vlad Gliga came back to his hometown and decided to build from scratch a startup community.

”I had just come back from Denmark. I was living in Bucharest. But at that time, discussing with the general director of RDA Northeast, we got into a sensitive topic for me. That was ”what opportunities do we create for the young generation, especially for them to become entrepreneurs?”. It's not just about becoming an entrepreneur, it's about pursuing your dreams. When we are young, we dream to become superheroes and to help other people”, Vlad told us in his interview for the Romanian Startups. Roaring Tigers of Europe documentary.

Rubik Hub was launched in Piatra Neamt in May 2017. Their mission was to stimulate the creative and innovative potential of the region. In addition, pupils, students, freelancers, investors and startups can work in the coworking space.

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Rubik Hub was initiated with the help of ADR Nord-Est, but it was built with an investment of 100,000 euros obtained from sponsorships from companies in the area.

”I looked at how entrepreneurs are behaving in the region, the local entrepreneurs. I compared their actions and their business behaviour with the behaviour I've seen in the US and Denmark. I realized there is a lot of room for improvement, especially in the mindset of growing, in the mindset of scaling up”, adds Vlad Gliga.

His frustration was clear—Vlad observed that without proper education, mentorship, and exposure, young people would either leave or never realize their potential. This realization led to months of dialogue with RDA to explore solutions.

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The vision that emerged was to create a supportive ecosystem where every individual could reach their potential and drive positive impact locally.

Key insights from our discussion with Vlad Gliga

• The ecosystem’s success is rooted in collaboration, mentorship, and community-driven efforts.
• Public-private partnerships and involvement of government, academia, and diaspora are essential.
• Confidence-building and exposure are critical to overcoming cultural barriers.
• Regional decentralization of startup support fosters balanced national growth.
• Romania’s tech talent and infrastructure are strong assets.
• Investment environment and legislative reform remain priorities.
• The ecosystem has shifted from scattered initiatives to coordinated, strategic growth.
• International recognition and diaspora engagement provide a powerful boost.

Building the ecosystem: early efforts and community building

Vlad began engaging with local universities to introduce startup programs, recognizing the need for practical startup experience which traditional education lacked. Understanding their own knowledge limits, they actively sought advice from experienced startup founders and mentors, especially from the city of Iași, where initial community efforts took root.

Key collaborators with entrepreneurs that freely gave their time to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs, demonstrating the power of community-driven support.

From Iași, networking expanded to Bucharest. A small but committed group formed, united by the goal of building a future for young entrepreneurs.

Challenges in local entrepreneurial mindset

Having the experience from the US and his time in Denmark, Vlad points out to the contrasts the entrepreneurial mindset in Romania, noting that local entrepreneurs often lacked ambition to scale beyond domestic markets.

This inward focus was a barrier to economic growth, as products and services remained confined to local consumption rather than entering international markets.

Fear of the unknown and self-doubt were pervasive among entrepreneurs, limiting their aspirations.

To counter this, while building Rubik Hub, Vlad and his team prioritized connecting local entrepreneurs with mentors who had successfully scaled internationally.

The goal was to inspire confidence and provide practical knowledge in product development, team building, and market expansion. This mentoring network grew to over 150 active mentors globally, many Romanians abroad eager to give back.

The role of mentorship in ecosystem development

Mentorship emerged as a cornerstone of ecosystem development. Vlad highlights how mentors were predominantly experienced “doers” who volunteered to share real-world insights.

The community fostered a culture of openness where entrepreneurs could ask questions about product scaling, team management, and competing globally.

Romanian entrepreneurs were encouraged to think big and overcome limiting beliefs.

Rubik Hub was established as a physical and symbolic space for this community, initially funded through a modest €15,000 renovation budget secured via local private sector support. This hub became a catalyst, showing demand for startup support and validating the ecosystem’s growth potential. RDA Northeast’s backing for operational costs and connection to public resources was vital, as was the collaborative spirit among various players.

Overcoming cultural barriers: confidence, exposure and mindset

A recurring theme is the cultural challenge of taking the first step. Many young Romanians hesitate to pursue entrepreneurship due to fear and lack of confidence, compounded by societal skepticism.

Vlad shared with us a personal story of overcoming shyness and reluctance through encouragement and exposure during a US work experience.

Rubik Hub and related programs prioritize exposure—bringing founders face-to-face with mentors, investors, and peers to demystify entrepreneurship.

This builds courage, fosters ambition, and encourages dreaming big. The ecosystem plants the seed that believing in oneself is essential to transforming ideas into successful ventures.

Regional development and decentralization

The manager of Rubik Hub advocates for decentralizing economic growth beyond Bucharest, emphasizing the untapped potential across Romanian regions.

Cities like Piatra Neamț, Oradea, and Timișoara host talented entrepreneurs who prefer to work locally. Supporting startups regionally prevents brain drain and fosters balanced national development.

Rubik Hub’s success in Piatra Neamț illustrates how understanding local challenges and leveraging community motivation can build thriving ecosystems outside the capital. This regional focus differentiates Romania’s approach and strengthens national resilience.

Roaring Tigers of Europe is a production by start-up.ro and Videocorp, part of the Romanian publishing company InternetCorp, active for almost 20 years on the market. The documentary was made with the support of partners BCR, Orange, and 2Performant. Community partners included Guran Consulting Global, How to Web, Launch, Impact Hub Bucharest, Flaviu Simihaian, Rubik Hub, SoftServe, and the Romanian-American University.

Watch the full documentary in the video below: